Pilot Programs

The best way to decide if Economic Gardening is right for your city, region or state is to launch a pilot program. Pilot programs open doors and open minds, providing a way to minimize risk and give your organization, companies and stakeholders direct insight into the process and results. The following must be in place to contract with the NCEG:

The ability to recruit a minimum of five second-stage company participants

Feedback from CEOs

Medford Roofing in Memphis, Tennessee, learned howto hone its competitive edge. As a result the company increased staff from five to 19 full-time employees within nine months of its Economic Gardening engagement.

“Participating in the Economic Gardening program really sped up the learning curve for me,” says founder Meghan Medford. “The research team is comprised
of highly intelligent people who provide you information you can’t get otherwise.”

The NSRT helped Stewart Industries identify new market sectors to pursue, and it quickly won a new client that added more than $500,000 in revenue.

“Now we’re information rich,” says Erick Stewart, president of the Battle Creek-based company. “If we had to compile that data on our own, it would have taken years. Plus some of the research specialists had hands-on experience with industries we wanted to pursue and were able to provide valuable insights.”

Applied Energy Solutions in Caledonia, New York, won a new client that has increased revenue by 30 percent and resulted in four new full-time positions.

“As an established business, you hear about all the activity to recruit outside companies and think, ‘What about companies like mine that are already here and employing people?’ ” says president Vern Fleming. “To have something like Economic Gardening that supports existing businesses is a real benefit; it recognizes the contributions that we are making to the economy.”

Within a few months of its Economic Gardening experience, Hed Cycling in Shoreview, Minnesota, added seven employees and expanded its physical footprint, buying a 25,000-square-foot building.

“I’m more invigorated about growing the business than I used to be,” says co-founder Anne Hed. “Participating in Economic Gardening has given me the confidence to get out of my comfort zone and go for it. If we stay on task, we can double our business in five years.”

Introductory course

Want to dive deeper into the principles and tools of Economic Gardening? This online course will get you started — and is required for organizations that want to contract with us to launch a program.

Certification and training

The majority of Economic Gardening programs use our National Strategic Research Team (NSRT) for their company engagements. If you’re interested in joining the NSRT or just want to take a deeper dive into Economic Gardening, learn more about our certification and training.